When the trailer for Him was first shown at CinemaCon this past April, audiences were geeked and left the auditorium raving about how excited they were for the next project from Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions. It’s important to note that Peele is not the director, as many on social media seem not to be aware of. To be honest, they aren’t fully to blame as the marketing has his name written all over it. Justin Tipping (Kicks) deserves his credit as he is the director of the football horror-esque story that follows college prospect Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers) as he is set to embark on his journey to get drafted into the NFL. Before he heads off to participate in the combine, he is attacked, leaving him with a severe head injury. Instead of getting the rest to heal that his doctor suggests, he opts to spend some time training one on one with his idol, professional football star Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans).
When you think of how much pain and traumatic injuries happen in sports daily, especially in the world of football, it’s almost surprising that a film like this didn’t come sooner. The camera shots use a truly unique way of showing impact and damage by depicting the contact between two characters via an X-ray sequence. This is by far one of the top 3 best pieces of this film, with the soundtrack being number one. Damn near every single song utilized in Him was a certified banger, especially how they were perfectly fitting to each scene. From Gucci Mane’s Lemonade to Denzel Curry’s Him, you will find yourself vibing out the entire movie.
The second aspect of what worked for Him was the acting that Wayans and Withers brought to the characters. Starting with Wayans, you will repeatedly see folks saying, “he is unlike any role we’ve seen him in before”, and they’re absolutely right. Although he was in the 2000’s horror drama Requiem for a Dream opposite Jared Leto and Jennifer Connelly, Wayans’ performance is a standout as he showed off his acting chops in a different way than the comedic form we’ve grown to love him in. Withers holds his own in his breakout role, much bigger than the previous film he had earlier this year, the reboot of the classic I Know What You Did Last Summer.
Him Isn’t a Bad Film at All
The horror piques your interest in the second act, bringing a lot of questions as to where this is all going. It starts very promising and grabs your interest as you really want to see Cameron do well, as he seems so innocent and determined. With all the noise around, rooting for him to go pro, it’s clear he won’t be the one to turn heel because of how genuine his love for the sport appears. Where things get a little messy is the rushed third act, where everything ramps up but ends entirely too quickly. My one sole complaint about this film is that it was truly not long enough. With a runtime of 96 minutes, Him starts on an upwards climb, pushing you to the edge of your seat, then leaves you hanging. The ending makes you want more of where things go after Cameron discovers what’s really going on, but it simply doesn’t.
All in all, I want to loudly state that this is not a bad film whatsoever. It’s solid in its visuals, soundtrack, and acting, plus the unique plot is enough to check Him out. It’s definitely a film that will draw mixed reviews, but you need to see it yourself to draw your own conclusion. It’s a thrilling depiction in disturbing style of one of the best sports ever, begging the question, “Just how far would you go to be the GOAT?”. Funny enough, this applies to more than just sports when you’re obsessed with anything, really.
RT: 3.5/5
